Hidden Fire
by sapphireEye2010
Summary: Sequel to "Pyrexia". Five years after killing the Svonfralitz, Pyrexia meets Loki. But with the chain of events that follow and a note, could everything go downhill? Rated T for language, alcohol, and suggestive moments. Loki/OC
1. Chapter 1

**This is the Sequel to my other Fanfic, "Pyrexia". Hope you like it!**

December, 2018

_It's been a five and a half since Sierra Nelson/Pyrexia, who is now 21, killed the Svonfralitz, queen of what was, at one point, her home planet. Everything has gone fairly well since then. Clint and Natasha got married, and Thor has been reunited with his beloved Jane. There have been a few small battles, but nothing the Avengers couldn't handle._

I'm walking through the house in Florida, just wandering around, waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. We've been called to a meeting here. Not sure why we don't just go to the tower, but whatever. After 10 minutes of pacing, JARVIS announces the arrival of some guests. I know for a fact one of them is Tony. Ever since I've joined the team, he's been the first one to show up. He's taken a liking to me, which I don't mind. I haven't set his hair on fire recently, so we're good.

As I said, Tony walks through the door. He's dressed in some jeans and a T-shirt. You can see the arc reactor glowing through the shirt.

"Hey, pudding cup," he says. He walks across the room, looking around. "You haven't broken anything, have you?"

"No. I'm more responsible than that."

"So you haven't had any wild parties, stolen some of my booze, and destroyed half the house?"

"Nope."

"Weird kid. That's what I would have done. You haven't gone into my workshop, have you?"

"No."

"Good girl." We stand there in silence for a few moments.

"So, yeah," I say. I haven't talked to anybody in a week, not even my boyfriend, Stan (we've been an on-and-off couple since 2013). Except for JARVIS. And surprisingly, you can have some interesting conversations with him.

"Uh, well, there's, uh, somebody the team would like you to meet," Tony says. I can tell by his tone that I'm probably not going to like this person very much. And the _team _wants me to meet him? I nod, and Tony walks out of the room. In a matter of seconds, the door opens again, and a tall figure, clad in green and black walks through the door. I've seen his face on SHIELD's files.

Loki.

I try not to look surprised, but I guess I didn't do a very good job. Loki smirks, and Tony walks over to me. He places his hands on my shoulders.

"It's _fine_, ok? He's done his time, and is willing to help us out with anything. Sure, we can't completely trust him…"

"Hey!" Loki exclaims. He hasn't moved at all.

"But we're keeping a close eye on him," Tony resumes. "Come on, pudding cup, just try and talk to the guy… god… whatever. You're going to have to eventually."

"Fine," I say, reluctant. I look past Tony and see Loki just standing there, watching us. That's when I notice that he's in normal human clothes, not the armor I saw on his profile. Just jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. Weird.

Tony stands back, and Loki walks over to me. He looms over me, which makes him all the more intimidating. He stretches out his hand, and I reach out and grab it, expecting a handshake. Instead, he pulls my hand up and kisses it. He lets go of my hand, and it drops to my side. I blush.

"Sorry, tradition on Asgard," he says apologetically. "So, you're the famous Pyrexia. I expected you to be a bit… older."

"Yeah, that's what he thought," I say, pointing to Tony. Loki smiles.

"Although, I do have to say, you are a lot prettier than I expected." I look at my feet, blushing. Once my cheeks cool down, I look back up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I just expected you to be… more 'alien-looking'." I laugh quietly.

"I had that problem taken care of," I say. He nods.

"So, I heard you can control fire and ice."

"Yeah."

"Would it be too much to ask if I could see?" I look over at Tony, who shrugs. He motions for us to follow, and we head down to his workshop. He rummages around, finding a piece of wood, a piece of scrap metal, and a bucket of water. He places the wood and the metal on a table.

"Don't make a mess," he tells me. I turn towards the table. I can feel Loki watching me, observing every movement I make. Of course, it's not much. The wood catches on fire, and the metal melts. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Loki's surprise. I don't have to do any silly movements or anything, just standing there and doing what I do best.

Tony walks in front of me with the bucket of water.

"Think fast," he says, and throws the water at me. I freeze it, and it falls to the ground, shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces. I turn to Loki, who looks impressed.

"Very interesting," he says. Tony leads us out of the workshop and back into the living room. On the way back upstairs, Loki and I start talking a bit.

The rest of the Avengers have gathered around, sitting in their usual places. Tony takes his spot, and Loki and I choose to stand. I laugh at something he says, a little too loudly. Everybody turns and stares. I blush, looking down at my feet again. Loki laughs.

"You really don't like attention, do you?" he asks me.

"No, not really," I mumble.

"Anyways," Steve interrupts. I look up. "You two seem to be getting along just fine." Loki and I look at each other and shrug.

"So, what exactly is this meeting about?" I ask. "Nobody's told me crap in months."

"Thor's going to become king of Asgard in four days. We've been invited to go."

"Oh."

"And that's mostly the reason why Loki's here. He and Thor are thinking of a way to get us all to Asgard for the ceremony without too much hassle."

"So what we were thinking," Thor interrupts, "is that we can go in groups of two, not including myself or my brother. Tomorrow, I will take two using the Bifrost. I'll get them to their chambers, and then head back. As soon as I arrive, Loki will transport two using his magic, take them to their chambers, and stay there. He'll send a message, and I'll bring the last two."

"So, why don't we go all at once? Is the Bifrost not capable of taking all of us?"

"Good question. You see, the Bifrost will be exceptionally busy. Many Asgardians have traveled to the different realms, for business trips or vacation. Most, if not all, will want to come to the ceremony, so they'll travel by Bifrost. And Loki can't handle taking more than two people at a time, and we want to work in the fastest manner possible."

After some talking, we've decided the order we'll go in. Clint and Natasha will go first with Thor. When he comes back, Loki will take me and Tony, since we all seem to get along pretty well. Bruce and Steve will go last with Thor. We all go to pack what we need for the trip.

**Yay, Loki! I love him soooo much, so I had to throw him in. What'll happen next? Wait and find out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Almost done writing "Hidden Fire". I like to stay ahead of my posts, so I have a very important question for all of my readers. Would you want another sequel? I'm thinking, if I get enough to say yes, I can put in more interesting moments and less dialogue. I'm notorious for telling the story though conversations. So, please, PM me or review with your input. I'm very open to ideas, but if you have any, PM as to not ruin the story for others.**

Bags packed, I wait on the landing pad of the beach house for a helicopter to arrive. It'll take me to the meeting point, where we'll all get on a plane and head to New Mexico. It's very warm for December. I'm wearing skinny jeans, Converse, and a hoodie, which is warm enough.

Tony finally arrives in his Iron Man suit. Loki just appears out of nowhere. Tony lands and lifts up the mask.

"Pudding cup, I don't think you're dressed warmly enough," he says. I don't detect any sarcasm.

"I'm pretty sure I am," I respond. "When is the helicopter supposed to get here?"

"11 o'clock. And you're not going on the helicopter."

"What do you… oh, _hell _no, I'm not going with you!"

"Why not? It'll be fun!"

"Because honestly, I wouldn't trust you with my life."

"You trusted me to take you out in the middle of the ocean, with _sharks, _to teach you to surf, and yet you don't trust me to fly to you New Mexico, something I've done numerous times?"

"The reason no sharks came around was because your face scared them off," I retort. Loki laughs.

"I'm pretty sure that's what you Midgardians would call a 'burn'." We both turn to him with strange looks on our faces.

"Or not," he mumbles. "I wish I could offer to teleport us there, but I'm afraid I have to save my magic for the actual trip."

"Then why did you just teleport here?" I ask.

"I was actually right behind you. I just wanted to make a more… dramatic entrance." I roll my eyes.

"Why don't you just teleport us there right now?"

"Because they don't trust me that much. They're afraid that if I do, I'll kill you both and run off."

"Oh."

"Are you sure you don't want to go with me?" Tony asks. "It'll make me happy!"

"And how am I supposed to hold on?"

"I already thought of that." He turns around, and a large bubble-like thing appears on his back.

"You won't have to hold on. Just grab on for a second, and then you can let go. You can even take a nap, if the trip wasn't going to be so short. I've tested it several times. It's completely safe."

"And what of me?" Loki asks.

"We'll wait for you to get on the helicopter. When you take off, we'll go too. Of course, it'll take hours for you all to get there. We'll get there in 30-45 minutes."

I think about it for a moment, and eventually agree.

"Yay!" Tony says, sounding like a little kid. The helicopter arrives, and Loki boards. Steve grabs my bags. He must have known what Tony was planning. We watch them take off. I walk over to Tony.

"Just put your arms around my neck," he instructs. I do so, and the bubble goes around me.

"You can let go now." I do, and notice I'm hovering about 3 inches off the ground.

"Brace yourself." And with that, he takes off.

35 minutes from departing, we land in New Mexico. The plane isn't supposed to arrive for a few more hours, so after removing his suit and changing it into a suitcase, Tony decides to take me to lunch.

"It'll be fun!"

"That's the third time today you've said that."

"Hey, you have to admit, the flight was kinda fun."

"Not when you almost crashed into the plane!"

"Sorry. Geez."

We head into town, and Tony leads me to a McDonalds.

"So fun," I say sarcastically. We go inside and get our food. The cashier flips when she sees Tony.

"Oh my God, you're Tony Stark!"

"Yeah. Can you just take our order now?"

"Who is this?" she asks, pointing at me.

"My friend. Please, just take our order, for God's sake!" The girl shuts up and takes our order.

After we get our food, we sit down and talk. About the time I finish my burger, my phone rings.

"The hell?" Tony asks. I roll my eyes.

"You need to stop rolling your eyes. You'll go blind. Plus, when did you get a phone?"

"About 3 years ago, _Mom_." It turns out Stan texted me.

_Hey babe. How's the flight?_

_It's over. Tony took me. You wouldn't believe how fast that suit can go! Anywho, we're eating right now. We're stuck here for a while._

_Sweet. I'll talk to you later ;). Bye_

_Bye :)_

"Whose money bought that phone, anyways?"

"Fury's."

"Does he know?"

"Nope."

"That's my girl. I might as well just adopt you. You're turning out to be so much like me."

"I'm twenty-one. I'm a little too old to be adopted."

"Nonsense. I'm Tony Stark. I can do whatever I want. As long as you didn't use my credit card, we're good. That's for emergencies _only_. And pizza." We both laugh and finish our food.

Hours later, the plane arrives. We all head to the Bifrost sight. When we get there, Thor takes Clint and Tasha and calls Heimdall. A bright flash of light, and they're gone.

"Ready to go?" Loki asks Tony and me. We nod, and stand on either side of him. After a few minutes, Thor reappears and Loki places a hand on our shoulders. Another flash, and suddenly we're in Asgard. It was a lot faster than traveling by the Bifrost.

"Follow those guards," Loki says, pointing. "They'll take you to your chambers." He turns and starts muttering something. He's probably giving Thor the signal.

We follow the guards, and they take us into the beautiful palace. I can barely believe my eyes. After about a 5 minute walk, we arrive in a long hallway with several doors. Somebody taped pieces of paper with our last names to each door. Looks like Thor's handwriting. We walk down the hall until we find the rooms with _Stark_ and _Nelson_ on them. Great. Right next to him. I'll get Thor for this. We walk into our separate rooms.

When I close the door, I can hardly take in the room before me. A huge, round bed sits in the center of the room. It looks like it's made of pure gold. Bookcases line two walls, and on the other side of the room, enormous windows fill the wall, with a door to the balcony. Through the windows, I can see water, and past that, into space. It's the most spectacular thing I've ever seen.

I walk over to the bed and notice a note on my pillow.

_Sierra,_

_Try not to burn anything, ok?_

_Thor and Loki_

Nice. I wonder if they put "Don't smash anything" on Bruce's pillow.

**Hope you liked it, despite all the talking. There will be more talking in later chapters, so get used to it! That's just how I roll.**


	3. Chapter 3

It's been two days since our arrival at Asgard. I've been allowed to walk around the city (accompanied, of course. It's normally Tony, Steve, or Loki). Every meal has been a feast. The entire realm has been celebrating since the announcement of Thor's soon-to-be kingship, so the dining hall is always full. Every once in a while, during dinner, Tony would slip me some wine, although Fury _specifically_ said I can't have alcohol. If I get drunk, things could end up badly for all of us. Tony really shouldn't be drinking either. His exact quote was "Screw what Fury has to say. I'm Iron Man, and I can do whatever the hell I want." I've met Thor's parents and friends. They are all very welcoming.

Despite all of the good things that have happened so far, one bad thing has happened. Fury was able to contact us this morning, and told us that there has been an attack on headquarters. Nothing bad, just some person tried to break in and rob the place. He ended up shooting several people. Stan was one of them. He and 3 others died. I went straight to my room after I heard that. I didn't cry, but I couldn't believe it. I just wish I would have gotten to say goodbye.

I was in my room, just hours after finding out what had happened. I flop down on the bed, and pulled out my iPod (purchased with Fury's money. He gave me some to so I'd become more "normal"). I start playing some music without head phones. Five minutes later, someone knocks on my door. I pause the music.

"Who is it?" I swear to God, if it's Tony…

The door opens slightly, and Loki's head pops in.

"It's me," he says quietly.

"What do you want?" Damn, I said that harsher than I meant to.

"Oh, nevermind. I see you're not in the best mood." I sit up.

"No, it's fine. I've just been having a bad day." Loki walks in and closes the door.

"What happened?"

"My boyfriend was shot and killed earlier this morning."

"I see. Well, I came in to see if you wanted to see my mother's garden. It's blooming, and she thought you would enjoy seeing it. But if you don't want to…"

"I'd love to go see it." He smiles and walks out. I follow.

When we enter the garden, I can't help but gasp, which makes Loki chuckle. There are plants of every color imaginable. Flowers, in unique shapes, are everywhere. The air smells sweet. Small birds flit through the air. You could never see anything like this on Earth.

"It's amazing," I whisper. I can barely believe how gorgeous it is.

"Yes, Mother does take pride in her garden," Loki says. "Especially the flowers." We walk down the stone path that snakes through the garden. I'm looking everywhere, trying to take it all in.

Walking through the garden, Loki and I start to talk. He asks me about Stan, and I ask him about his childhood. He says he felt worthless having Thor as an older brother, knowing he'll never be as good as him. I tell him I kind of feel the same, not being good enough, feeling like some horrible creature, locked up in a room for years with no human contact, like I was never going to be able to do anything with my life, up until a few years ago.

"You and I are a lot alike, you know," he says.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, we both have special talents that nobody else does, we felt suppressed for most, if not all, of our childhood, and we both grew up in a place where we really didn't belong." I think about it for a moment.

"Yeah, you're right." I notice we stopped walking. By the look of it, we're towards the middle of the garden. It's dusk. I have a feeling everybody else is in the dining hall for dinner. We look at each other. I can see something in his eyes. I'm not sure exactly what, though.

Suddenly, Loki leans down and kisses me. It takes me by surprise, but I can't bring myself to pull away. His lips are soft, and something about the kiss calms me, all the stress and pain from Stan's death melts away. I feel Loki's arms wrap around my waist as he kisses me more forcefully. We stumble into the bushes behind me. We hit the ground. Loki hovers over me, staring into my eyes. I blush, and he smiles apologetically.

"Sorry," he says.

"N-no, it's fine," I say as I smile back.

A voice calls out from not too far away. It's Tony.

"Sierra? Are you out here?" My eyes grow wide, and we both get up quietly, hiding behind a tall bush. Loki stands behind me, hands resting on my waist as he crouches to hide himself. We hear Tony walking down the path, getting closer and closer to our hiding spot.

"Watch this," Loki whispers into my ear, and he snaps. I hear a hiss, and Tony screams like a little girl. His footsteps quickly retreat back to the entrance of the garden.

"What was that?"

"Three-headed snake."

"You're kidding!"

"I don't 'kid'." I peek out from behind the bush, and see the coast is clear. Once we're back on the path, I turn to Loki.

"What was that for?" I ask. My mind is racing.

"I wanted to chase him away, why?"

"Not that."

"Oh. That. I'm not exactly sure why. You just seemed hurt and lost, and I… I just feel different when I'm around you. I feel… understood. Like I'm not the only one out there who feels the pain I feel. I'm sorry if I offended you. I won't do it again." I take a deep breath.

"I feel the same way, honestly. I never realized it, but around you, I can be, well, me. It's kind of a relief. The others don't understand." I stretch up and kiss him lightly on the lips.

"Thank god I'm well over eighteen, or you'd be in serious trouble. Well, you will be if Fury ever finds out. I hope not, though. How old are you anyways, in Earth years?"

"I think we figured it to be about 28 or something."

"Huh. I guess seven years isn't _too _bad."

"We really should be getting back."

"Yeah." Loki reaches down and entwines his fingers with mine. I look down. His hands are really cold. Then again, my temperature is higher than most other humans. Now my heart's racing.

"You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all." We walk back into the palace, making sure nobody sees us. Loki walks me to my room and kisses me again.

"Goodnight, Sierra," he whispers.

"Goodnight, Loki."


	4. Chapter 4

**Feel free to review or give inputs on the chance of another sequel (ideas are welcome!).**

The next morning, Tony finds me on my way to breakfast.

"Hey, pudding cup," he says, walking backwards as we make our way to the dining hall. "Why weren't you at dinner last night?"

"I stayed in my room. I wasn't hungry," I say, easily covering up the truth.

"You really shouldn't skip meals. You're skinny enough as it is."

"You act like you're my mom or something. I'm _fine_."

"That's it. When we get back, I'm fucking adopting you."

"I told you already. I'm too old to be adopted."

"I don't care. You could be my daughter, for all I care. You act just like me. Just don't become an alcoholic, ok?" I roll my eyes. "STOP DOING THAT! You always do that. It bugs me."

"If you wouldn't make it so obvious that it bothers you, I wouldn't do it so much. But it's too late now."

"Damn. By the way, did you see Loki at all last night? He didn't stop by your room or anything, did he?"

"Nope."

"You sure?"

"How can I _not_ be sure? I either know or I don't."

"Ok then. He said he wanted to take you out to Frigga's garden."

"She has a garden?" I act surprised. Tony seems convinced. We reach the dining hall. Inside, everybody's seated. The table is buzzing with conversation. It is the big day, after all. Thor is sitting between Odin and Loki. The grin on his face is huge. You can tell he's happy. I sit at the other end of the table and look at Loki. He's immersed in conversation, but I can tell he's tired. I wonder why. He looks over at me and smiles. I smile back.

"What was that all about?" Clint asks from beside me. I look at him, puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Loki, just then."

"I don't know what you're talking about. We just smiled. Big deal."

"Where were you two last night, anyways? Neither of you were at dinner. We started to think the fucker had killed you and run off or something."

"I was in my room. I wasn't hungry. I don't know where Loki was."

"I was in my room as well," Loki says, appearing behind us. We turn around. "I was working on a new spell. Horribly difficult, but I'll get it soon enough."

"Is that why you're so tired?" Clint asks.

"Yes. I spent all night trying to figure it out, but something just isn't working." He leaves the dining hall. At the other end of the table, Odin stands.

"I do believe it is about time to get ready for the ceremony." Everybody gets up and leaves.

It's finally time for the ceremony. Odin sits in the throne, wearing gold armor, scepter in hand. On the stairs on either side of him, are Frigga, Loki, Lady Sif, The Warriors Three, and the Avengers. I'm at the bottom of the stairs, across from Tony. His mask is off. They really enjoy putting me with him. Frigga is in a lovely gown, while Loki, Sif, and the Three are in their armor. The Avengers, minus Bruce, are in their uniforms. Bruce is just in a nice suit. I can see Clint eying Natasha from where I'm standing. I look at the crowd, and I can see Jane Foster standing at the front. I've met her once. She's really nice. I'm happy for her and Thor.

I look at Tony, who wiggles his eyebrows at me, causing me to laugh. I turn my head, and Loki's horned helmet catches my attention. I look up at him, and I can see he's smiling at me. It makes my heart flutter.

Music rings out from somewhere, and Thor walks in. He's not doing anything outrageous, just walking and smiling, occasionally waving to the people. Supposedly, the first time he was supposed to be king, he was brandishing Mjolnir and looking like a fool. This time, he's more humble. He kneels at the bottom of the stairs, puts Mjolnir next to him, and takes off his helmet. Odin stands.

"Thor, Odinson," he begins, "Long been entrusted with the hammer, Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star. It is a fit companion for a king, as a weapon to destroy, or as a tool to build. You have proven yourself to be worthy to be king, during your exile to Midgard, where you showed humility and selflessness. You brought peace to Midgard, and to your family, during a difficult time. You have helped return to us the Bifrost, and therefore peace with the other Realms of the Cosmos." He looks at Loki, who looks down in shame. "Thor, do you swear to protect Asgard?"

"I swear!"

"And do you promise to protect the nine realms?"

"I swear!"

"Do you promise to throw aside all selfish ambition for the sake of your people?"

"I swear!"

"Then I, Odin Allfather, hereby declare you, Thor Odinson, to be King of Asgard!" The crowd erupts, and those on the stairs clap. Thor puts on his helmet, grabs Mjolnir, stands, and ascends the stairs. Odin moves to the side of the throne, and Thor stands in front of it, turning around. He looks out into the crowd, then at Jane as he sits down. Everybody goes nuts. I don't think I've ever seen Loki smile this much.

After the ceremony, there is another feast, bigger than all the others. We eat until we're about to explode. I finally get to take my mask off (I had to wear it for the ceremony). Tony didn't exactly design it for comfort. It's like a miniature version of his helmet. I'm the first to leave.

I head to my room to change. The suit's been irritating me all day. I change into some looser jeans and my hoodie. As soon as I get the hoodie on, I hear a noise at the door. I turn around and see Loki at the door.

"Uh, how long have you been standing there?" I ask. I'm afraid to know.

"I guess a little longer than I should have," he responds, looking guilty. "You didn't respond to my knock, so I assumed you were on the balcony. I'm so sorry." I sigh.

"It's fine, I guess."

"If it's not too much to ask, but can I inquire what happened to your legs and torso?" I'm pretty sure he's talking about my cuts.

"I got them from when I fought the queen of my original planet," I answer. "I had her pinned down, and she started kicking and clawing at me. Her claws tore into my skin, causing these huge gashes. The suit was designed not to rip, and it absorbed all the blood. I didn't lose too much, but I didn't realize I was injured until after I killed her. I had too much adrenaline to notice. I thought the dizziness was from everything that had happened. I was changing out of the suit, and I noticed the huge gashes. By then, I had already taken the serum to keep me in the form I was in. The cuts never healed, and never will. Sometimes, they'll just start bleeding randomly."

"That's awful."

"I've gotten used to it. I don't have to worry about getting an infection, at least. If I ever have a one, or a virus, my body heats up to burn it off. It's hot enough already, though. It's like having a constant fever."

"I noticed that you were warmer than most. Does anybody else know?"

"No. I didn't really want them to. I've been hiding it for more than five years. It wouldn't make sense to tell them now."

"I can understand."

"Huh." I start to stare off, thinking about the night I fought the queen.

"Sierra?"

"What?"

"I truly am sorry. I shouldn't have walked in."

"It doesn't really matter. Can't go back now." We both stand there silently.

"Why did you come here, anyways?" I ask.

"I really don't know." I chuckle. "What?"

"Nothing. So how's that 'spell' going?"

"Pretty well, actually."

"Wait, you're actually working on a spell?"

"Yes, but I didn't start working on it until this afternoon."

"Oh. Then you weren't up all night?"

"Actually, I was, but I just couldn't sleep. Too much to think about."

"Huh."

"I hope I'm not making this awkward. Am I?"

"No. I'm just tired. I need to stop thinking."

"Oh. Well, goodnight, darling." I can't help but smile. Loki crosses the room and kisses me, sweetly this time. I put my hands on the back of his head, pulling him closer. This is so wrong, but I love every moment of it. We both pull away, and I notice something.

"Your hair's shorter."

"Ah, yes. Mother thought it made me look too 'evil'."

"Well, I have to agree with her. You look so much better like this." I pull him in for another kiss. His hands wrap around my waist, and my arms wrap around his neck. After a matter of seconds, we hear someone at the door.

"Oh. My. God."

**Dun Dun Duuuuuuuun.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh. My. God." We turn to see Tony standing at the door. Loki and I step away from each other, which results in me falling onto the bed. I quickly recover myself and stand up.

"This is not what it looks like," I start.

"Of course it's what it looks like. I just saw you making out with the God of Mischief!"

"We weren't _making out_. We were just…"

"Just what?"

"Don't tell anybody. Please?"

"And what happens if I do?"

"Listen here, Stark," Loki spits. "If you dare tell anybody, even your little computer, about what you just saw, I will make your life so miserable, you'll wish you hadn't been born."

"I, uh…"

"Tony, please," I beg. He shakes his head, trying to clear his mind.

"Why?"

"We… I… You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"I can't explain it. Just please, keep this quiet."

"You aren't sleeping with him, are you?"

"What? No! We just…"

"Make out when nobody's around?"

"Well…"

"Whatever. I won't tell anybody. But I swear, Loki, if you do anything to harm her, I will hunt you down and make sure your death is long and painful." He turns and exits the room. Loki and I look at each other. I sigh, and sit down on the bed. Loki sits next to me.

"This is bothering you, isn't it?"

"A little. Tony's always been like a father to me. Seeing how disappointed he was kills me."

"Maybe we shouldn't do this anymore, if it hurts you that much."

"No!" Loki looks surprised.

"I don't want to sound obsessive, but honestly, you're the best thing to ever happen to me. Sure, Stan was a great guy, but he wasn't a good boyfriend. He never really came around that often, especially when I wasn't having a good day. He would always find an excuse to stay away, normally saying he had to work overtime. I've felt empty and alone for years now. His presence only filled me up a little. With you around, I feel… _whole_. Happy."

"You know, you make me feel the same way."

"Really?"

"Yes." He kisses me lightly on the lips, and stands to leave the room. I grab his hand, causing him to turn around.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being there."

"Shh, just lie down and sleep. You need it."

"You do, too. You're exhausted." He sits back down on the bed and I lean my head on his shoulder. "You really do look better with your hair like this." Within minutes, I'm fast asleep.

I wake up the next morning with Loki next to me. I'm too comfortable to move, even to see if he's awake. My arm is across his chest, and my head is on his shoulder. His arms are wrapped around me.

"Good morning," he says, making me jump a bit. He chuckles.

"I didn't realize you were awake," I say. I sit up and stretch. "You make a really good pillow."

"Do I?"

"Yep. Best I've ever had." We smile at each other. "So, is there anything planned for today?"

"I was thinking I could show you the palace." He winks

"Showing" me the palace really meant walking around, dodging guards and the team. At one point, we had to hide behind a statue as Thor walked down the hall. We could hear him talking to somebody.

"Damn, I'm going to kill him." We look at each other, puzzled. He had stopped right in front of the statue. "Where is he, anyways?"

"I don't know," somebody else responds. "He could be hiding anywhere." It's Steve.

"He's always been good at hiding when he doesn't want to be found." Loki tenses up.

"Why are you looking for him, anyways?" Steve asks.

"He's been with the girl."

"Sierra? How do you know?"

"Tony told me. He said he had seen them." Now we're both tensed up. "I cannot believe that he would do such a thing. She's young and naïve, and doesn't know what could happen. He's taking advantage of her, I know it. Although, I don't know why." I turn my head to Loki.

_No_, he mouths. _He doesn't know what he's saying_. I glare at him.

"But what could she have that he wants?"

"We think it may have something to do with the note."

"The note?"

"Yes. Father told me that when the girl first arrived on Earth, there was a note with her. Nobody has been able to read it, but SHIELD believes that it may hold valuable information. Upon your return to Earth, the girl will be asked to read it."

"And she has no clue this note even exists?"

"She's never been told. But we must keep her from Loki, in case he tries to manipulate her. I was in his room this morning, and I saw a spell book he had open. It was turned to a page for a mind-control spell. According to the book, he can use it to get anybody to do anything for him. I'm afraid he'll use it on the girl."

"I thought he could control minds? That's what he did to Clint and Selvig."

"Yes, but that was when he had the scepter to help him. It's been hidden away since his capture. He would have to learn another way to even try and control somebody. I fear the worst for the girl."

They leave, and I rush out from behind the statue. Loki follows and grabs my hand.

"Sierra, please, just listen to me," he pleads.

"Why? Is what they're saying true? Are you just manipulating me to know what's on that note?"

"Why would I manipulate you. I wasn't entirely sure this note still existed until a few days ago. And I doubt you knew about it."

"I did!"

"How?"

"I saw it. In a vision. A few years ago, before I killed the queen, I had a… Wait, why am I telling you this?"

"You need to trust me. I'm not trying to manipulate you. Please." He's begging. It almost breaks my heart to see how hurt he is, but somehow I know he's lying.

"And what about the spell book? Thor said it was turned to a page for a mind-control spell."

"That was not the spell I was looking at. I had it on a different page, I promise. Please, just trust me on this!"

"You're the God of Lies. Why should I trust you?"

"Because…"

"Because?"

"Because everything I've said about you is true. You truly make me feel like I'm not alone. Like I'm actually wanted. Over the past few days, I've grown very fond of you. You have this… this inner fire. A warmth I feel I've been unknowingly seeking for the entirety of my life. I've come to realize something else, too."

"And what exactly is that?" I snap at him.

"I love you." I freeze. Next thing I know, I'm in a corner, Loki pressing me against the wall.

"Don't say a word," he whispers. His hands are squeezing my arms, a little too hard. Tony passes by us, but after a few feet, he stops. All of a sudden, Loki disappears, and I'm left alone. As Tony turns around, I slide down the wall.

"Sierra?" he asks. "What's wrong?"

"I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have trusted him. I just don't know what was going on in my head. I felt… different with him and now I feel betrayed."

"Who did you hear it from?"

"Thor. And Steve. We overheard them talking about the note, keeping us apart, and Loki working on a mind-control spell. They left, then you came by, and he just disappeared."

"So, I guess you're mad at me, too?"

"No. You were just protecting me. I can never get mad at you for that."

"Well, that's good. C'mon. Let's get you home."

"We're not supposed to leave for two more days."

"Pudding cup, I'll come and go as I please. Now get up, get your stuff, and I'll take you home."

**Loki, doing something mischievious? No way!**


	6. Chapter 6

It's been a day since we got back, and I'm still pissed off at Loki, obviously. Tony gave me the code to his workshop, so I can go in there and distract myself. And by that, I mean immersing myself in work. He's hired me as an assistant, so I can earn my keep. I've been living in his house for 5 years, so it's about time I start paying him back. He figured it's easier than trying to adopt a 21 year-old.

He had me start off easy, by creating my own AI system. That way, I can work while he does, without having JARVIS . After hours of perfecting it, I finally had one. I didn't have a name like JARVIS, so I just named it MAX. Brilliant, right?

My next task is to make Tony's computers completely unhackable. I look into his security system and realize that would be impossible, which means creating my own from scratch. MAX is actually a lot of help. Most of his knowledge comes from JARVIS. I start designing, finding any loopholes and cutting them off. At one point, I'm about to scream. Being a hacker myself, I know all the ways to get through, and this one hole is way too obvious and too hard to get rid of.

I decide I deserve a break, so I go back upstairs to get some coffee. Tony was right when he said I'd like it eventually. The clock on the wall reads 2 AM. I've been up all night working.

"MAX?" My new AI system has already been installed to answer to only me.

"Yes?" No formal British accent there. Just casual and American.

"Play some music."

"Any particular genre?" I think about it.

"Classical." My favorite song, Jupiter: Bringer of Jollity from the Planets Suite starts playing. I love MAX. I get my coffee and slowly head back to the workshop, enjoying the music.

Sitting in my chair is none other than Loki. I'm about to throw my coffee at him.

"Get out." He stands. "No, I mean get out of here. I don't want to see you." The music changes to Duel of the Fates by John Williams (Not classical, but I put it on the playlist). Ironic, considering I'm about to kill him.

"MAX, shut it off." The music stops. Loki hasn't moved. "I swear to God, Loki, if you don't get out of here in the next ten seconds, I'm going to set you on fire. I mean it."

"Let me explain," he begs.

"No. GET OUT!" I yell. I've already set the trashcan on fire. He sees the flames and disappears. I extinguish the trash.

"Who are you yelling at?" Tony asks from the other side of the room.

"Nobody," I respond, and sit back down. I stare at the computer screen for ten minutes before doing anything. I take a sip of my coffee and get back to work.

I wake up in the morning with my head on the desk. Despite the coffee, I must have crashed. I lift my head and rub my eyes. I look at the screen. Still stuck on that one problem. I decide it's time for breakfast.

When I get into the kitchen, Tony is just sitting down with a plate of Eggos and a cup of coffee. I get myself some toast and sit across from him.

"I guess you were up late, too," he asks.

"Yep," I yawn. "What were you doing?"

"Fixing up the suit. I must have damaged it on the way home. Really, who were you yelling at last night? And don't say nobody, because you wouldn't yell 'Get out' at nothing, unless you're crazy. Then that's your problem."

"Loki showed up. I told him to get out."

"Did you set him on fire?"

"No, but your trashcan didn't exactly make it."

"Eh, doesn't matter. You should have set him on fire, though."

"I warned him, and he left."

"You shouldn't have warned him. Just set him on fire next time. Trust me, he'll get the message." Right then, Pepper walks in. She walks over to us, kisses Tony (they're still together, oddly enough), and sits down.

"Nothing's changed since you left. Except Rick quit. Something about 'too much stress and not enough pay'."

"Good. I never liked the guy anyways. How was the meeting in New York?"

"Boring."

"And that's why I don't go to meetings. Oh, did I tell you? I hired Sierra. She's my computer assistant. She's working on a new security system, trying to make it 'unhackable'."

"Good for her."

"Thanks," I yawn.

After a long day of working, I finally got the problem solved. I've tried numerous times, and it's completely unhackable. About the time I got it finished and installed on all of the computers, Tony walks up to me.

"Guess what, pudding cup?"

"What?"

"You're getting the rest of the night off, whether you like it or not. The team's already upstairs."

"Great." I get up and we head upstairs. The team's sitting at the bar talking about how great Asgard was. Thor's not there, but that was expected. Everybody has drinks, and that's when I start to doubt this will go well. I'm not allowed to drink, since it could be potentially fatal to me and others. When I have alcohol, my body tries to burn it off, which could lead to severe dehydration. Plus, if I get drunk, who knows what I'll set on fire? That's when I get an idea. I run to my room and find my old necklace. Last time we checked, I still couldn't use my powers when I wore it, but I could take it off whenever I wanted. I put it on, and try to set something on fire. Nothing happens. I try to make my body colder, but it stays the same. Perfect.

I go back out, and Clint's already a little tipsy. Everybody's laughing at something he said. I sit down, and Tony hands me a drink.

"Uh, are you sure you want to do that?" Natasha asks. I take a sip, ignoring the taste. I could care less.

"Don't worry," I respond. "I've already thought ahead." I show her my necklace. She nods.

"Ok, but if something happens…"

"Chill out, Tasha," Tony says. "I won't let anything happen to her."

A few hours and several drinks later, we're all drunk, minus Steve. I promised myself I wouldn't _actually_ get drunk, but about halfway through my first drink, I started thinking about Loki. So, I got drunk. Not my best move. By the time we're all shitfaced, Bruce is passed out on top of the bar, and I mean lying on the bar with one leg hanging off. He's going to fall off, I know it. Steve left and Tony and Clint are on the couch, singing something way off-key. Tasha's sitting on Clint's lap. Out of all of us who can, she'd be the last one I could actually see getting drunk, but there she is, barely keeping consciousness on her husband's lap. I'm sitting at the kitchen table, trying not to laugh as Tony tries to dance to the song he's singing, resulting in him falling over and landing on his ass on the floor.

"Ok, kids, it's time for everybody to go," he says, struggling to get up. "It's beddy-bye time. Go away." I laugh and get up. Bruce is still on the bar, and Clint and Tasha just passed out on the couch. Looks like nobody's actually leaving for a while. Tony and I stumble to our rooms, holding onto each other up on the way there. We're laughing hysterically.

Once in my room, I fall onto the bed. My necklace is irritating my neck, but even in my drunken state, I know not to take it off. I sit up when I hear something outside on the balcony. I get up and peek out the curtains. It's Loki. I open the door and walk outside.

"What are you doing here?" I ask. I would normally be pissed, but right now I can't bring myself to be mad. I can tell he's been drinking. "You've been drinking, haven't you?"

"Not as much as you." I lean against the railing, looking at the god. I've never seen him drunk before, but Thor on the other hand…

"I came here to apologize," he says. "I should have told you the truth when I could. I wish I could get you to see it now, but so many things say I'm lying. But I know I shouldn't have run off the other day. I should have stood my ground, but I was honestly afraid. I just-." I cut him off with a kiss. I just felt compelled to do it. He kisses back, and before I know it, we're in my room.


	7. Chapter 7

**I hadn't realized that I've already posted this much, or that I post a lot at 2 in the morning. But I have figured that I will not be writing an actual sequel to this, but I will include Pyrexia in any other stories I write. I'm currently working on a series of oneshots titled "Best of the Best". I won't post anything until I finish up this. I hope you enjoy!**

I'm woken up by the urge to vomit. I run into the bathroom and barely make it to the toilet on time. Once I've puked my guts out, I get up and brush my teeth. I'm burning up. I look in the mirror and notice my necklace is gone. I panic, and run back into the room. And right there, laying in my bed, is Loki. He's fast asleep. His pale, toned torso is exposed, and I notice that I'm completely naked. Shit. I grab my bathrobe, conveniently hanging on the wall two feet away, and wrap it around me. A sneak out of my room and head to the kitchen.

"MAX?" I whisper.

"Yes?" he says quietly.

"Make sure he doesn't leave, and warn me if he gets up." Once I'm in the kitchen, I grab a glass of water. I'm dehydrated, but not as badly as I thought. My head is killing me. I try to remember what happened last night, but all I can remember is Loki and me kissing. Everything after that is a blur. I walk back to my room.

Guess who's up?

He's laying in the same spot, hands behind his head. He smirks when he sees me.

"I guess my apology has been accepted?"

"Don't think so, fucker."

"Such an ironic name, don't you think? I mean, after all, we did-."

"You better shut your mouth before I shut it for you," I threaten. He just laughs.

"Oh, I'm so scared. What are you going to do, fuck me to death? Because that, I can deal with."

"Bastard."

"You know, for being drunk and obviously inexperienced, you were actually quite good." He winks. There's a knock on the door.

"Sierra? You awake?"

"Uh, yeah, give me a minute!" I turn to Loki. "Hide!" I whisper.

"Where?" he whispers back. I look around. I point to the bathroom and he gets up. Yep, he's naked alright. I grab his clothes, shoving him in and closing the door. I quickly pull on my bra, underwear, a pair of sweatpants, and a T-shirt. I open the door.

"Yes?" I ask, acting like I'm tired. Tony looks horrible.

"Was somebody in there with you?" I shake my head, yawning. "Well, I decided to give you a day off, since you probably have a hangover. Coffee?" I shake my head again. "Ok." He leaves. I shut the door and turn towards the bathroom. Loki's leaning against the door frame, pants on, no shirt, arms crossed. I can't help but admire his well-toned torso. I notice several burns.

"Enjoying the view?" he asks. I blush and look away. "You know, you're actually really cute when you blush."

"Last night was a mistake." I say. I look at him. He's shocked.

"W-what?" I can see the hurt in his eyes. It almost kills me.

"I'm sorry, Loki, it's just that… I didn't know what I was doing. I was drunk and hurt and…"

"No need to explain. I understand. I shouldn't have come here. I was just hoping that I could get you back." With that, he disappears. I sit down on my bed. It's still warm from where he was laying. For the first time in five years, I cry. I just shoved away the one thing that actually made me truly _happy_.

After a few minutes, Tony enters my room. He didn't bother to knock.

"What's wrong, pudding cup?" He hands me a glass of water. He knew I was dehydrated.

"N-nothing," I say. I wipe away the tears and steady my breath.

"Don't give me that crap. Something's up. You never cry. What is it?"

"I just made a stupid mistake. I'd rather not talk about it."

"Loki?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it."

"Ok, but Fury wants to see you ASAP. I think you know what it's about."

Sure enough, Fury wants me to translate the note. I arrive at Stark Tower. I'm greeted by Fury himself. He hands me a piece of material with strange writing on it. It's the note.

I sit down and study the writing on it for a few minutes. I'm slowly starting to figure it out. After 45 minutes, I finally figured it all out. This is what it said:

_My daughter,_

_You will never know me, for I fear the Svonfralitz will kill me if she finds out I sent you away. You were stolen from your mother after you were born. You showed an extraordinary power to control fire and ice. The Svonfralitz wants to use you to destroy Fnaliz, where I am sending you. You must protect the planet at all costs._

_There is one in our village who can foresee the future. He told me you would kill the queen and restore peace to our planet, but it will bring conflict to your life. There will be one who you will come to trust but will betray you. This will put you in danger. Do not let your guard down. In the end, you'll be hurt, but accept the help from that will come from an unlikely place._

_I love you dearly, my sweet. Always remember that._

I read the note out loud to Fury, who writes it down. I think back to the vision I had years ago. The guard who set me free was my father. I feel horrible. I had set him on fire, my own father. I stand and walk out of the building with the note in my hand. Fury tries to stop me.

"Excuse me? Where are you going with that?"

"You don't need it. I'm the only one on Earth who can read it. You have what you need, and I'm leaving."

"That's SHIELD property."

"No. It's not. It's mine. You took it from me. I'm taking it back." I get in the helicopter waiting for me to take me to the airport.

When I get home, Tony and Pepper are waiting for me. When I walk into the living room, they both stand.

"Could you read it?" Tony asks.

"Yep." I walk past them.

"What did it say?" Pepper asks.

"It said that Loki's going to get me into some serious shit."


	8. Chapter 8

"What do you mean by 'Loki's going to get me into serious shit?" I explain what the note said, about how I would trust someone, they would betray me, and in the end it'll get me hurt. I had figured it out as soon as I read it. I trusted Loki, and he betrayed me. At that's left is me getting hurt and getting help from someone unexpected. Unless this morning's incident counts as getting hurt.

I go into my room and sit on my bed, examining the note. After rereading it for an hour, I give up. I can't figure out anything else. I look around my room, trying to figure out what to do. That's when I notice the flowers.

A huge bouquet of roses sits in a vase on my dresser. I get up to take a closer look. They're from Loki. Sitting next to the vase is a CD. I put it in my computer and plug in my headphones.

"Is it on?" Loki whispers. He's still clueless about technology.

"Yes," someone else whispers. Clint?

"Ok. Look, Sierra, I truly want to apologize to you, but seeing as you don't want to see me ever again, I figured this is the next best way. I am sorry, for all I've done. But I want to explain my actions. Yes, I did want to know what that note said. But I wasn't planning on tricking you to tell me. Ok, well, it was a backup plan at first, but you must know that after the evening in the garden, I could never bring myself to use that spell on you. I was just curious, and I wanted to help, but I feared the worst. So, please, accept my apology? I want to make it up to you." The CD ends and I take out my headphones.

"I'm sorry, but you lied to me," I whisper. I hear a sigh from the door to the balcony, and his presence disappears.

For the next two days, I immerse myself in work. Tony thinks I'm just making up for all the work I missed because of my hangover. In reality, I'm trying to forget about Loki and the CD. It's almost impossible.

I was trying to find any bugs in Tony's suit when we got a phone call from Fury. The Avengers have to Assemble in New York City. It's under attack, like always. Another alien army, like always. Fun, fun.

Tony flies me to New York, and we all meet at Stark Tower except Thor, who's too busy being king to be here. We get a good look at the creatures. They're a sickly green color, with sagging skin and claws. Why do all aliens have to be alike in some way? They have no way of flying, but they sure as hell can climb. Nobody knows how they got here. From the top of the tower, you can hear them communicating through strange clicks. Captain gives us orders. He wants Tony to get as many of them into Times Square. Hawkeye and I are to go onto rooftops and pick as many of them off as possible. Black Widow, Hulk, and Captain are to wait in Times Square. Once Iron Man, Hawk, and I think we've got our situation under control, we're to meet them there to finish them off.

Bruce Hulks out and jumps off the roof. Tony offers to give the rest of us a lift. He grabs Hawkeye and Captain by the arms, and Black Widow grabs onto his neck.

"You coming, or are you going to stay here and do nothing?" he asks me. I laugh.

"Did I not tell you?" I kick off, and end up floating ten feet off the ground. "I can fly." I hadn't actually told anybody, but I had practiced numerous times. I don't really like it all that much, so I don't make an effort to let everyone know. I take off and find a good spot. It's about a block from Times Square. There are three aliens on the roof, cornering a woman. The woman screams as they burst into flames. In a matter of seconds, they're piles of ash. The woman runs inside. I place myself at a corner and try to draw their attention. I scream, and the ones on the street below look up. They run to the building and start climbing. Once they get close enough, I catch them on fire or freeze their bodies, making them too heavy to support. Either way, they go crashing into the ground, either reduced to ash or shattering upon impact. It's pretty easy.

"How's everybody doing? Iron Man?" Captain asks over the communicator.

"These fuckers are idiots," he responds. "Heading your way, Cap."

"Hawk?"

"Pretty damn well, sir."

"Pyrexia?"

"I'm having too much fun."

"Good."

"Hey, you guys may want to watch out. They have weapons, and according to JARVIS, they're poisonous."

"Thanks for telling us." Another group is climbing up my building. I pick them off like they're nothing. Despite seeing their comrades fall, the ones lower down keep climbing. They are idiots. Tony flies by.

"Pyrexia, looks like you should head down to the square once you finish these guys off."

"Got it." The last one falls, frozen. I watch triumphantly as it shatters on the ground. I stand up from my crouching position and stretch a bit.

"Got 'em," I say. "I'll be down there in a b-." I'm cut off by a sharp pain in my side. I turn and see another creature standing behind me. It bursts into flames.

"Pyrexia? Are you still there?" Captain asks. I look down and see a dagger in my side. Blood is pouring out of the wound. I try to remove the weapon, but the handle breaks off, leaving the blade inside me. The suit closes itself around the wound. I fall to the ground.

"Pyrexia?" I hear Tony say. He's concerned. "Sierra, are you there?"

"I'm not getting a response." Hawkeye.

"I'm gonna go check on her." Tony.

"No," Captain says. "We need you down here."

"But…"

"No but's. She can handle it on her own for now." I get up and kick off again. The pain is horrible, but they need me down there.

When I land, I'm greeted by quick looks. Natasha just broke the neck of a creature and Bruce just flung five into the ground. Tony kills off two, Steve smashes the head of another with his shield, and Clint shoots one through the eye. I get to work, setting fire to as many as possible. We fight them all off, and all that's left of them are broken bodies and piles of ash. Bruce de-hulks, and somebody hands him some clothes.

"Tony." Steve turns to the billionaire. "Are there any more?"

"Nope. We got them all."

"Good."

"Woah, wait, what's up with her?" Tony asks, pointing to me. I'm barely able to stand and I'm gasping for breath.

"Her temperature's through the roof. And… and there's something in her side."

"I can't see anything," Clint says, trying to get a closer look. He touches my shoulder and jerks his hand back.

"Damn it!"

"Not good. It looks like she was stabbed with a knife. A poison one, at that. The venom is spreading through her body."

"We need to get her inside." That's the last thing I hear before blacking out.


	9. Chapter 9

I wake up in a hospital room to the sound of voices.

"Is she ok?"

"I don't know. Her temperature is still extremely high."

"Wait, is she waking up?"

"I think she is." I open my eyes, and immediately I have 5 people surrounding my bed. I'm drenched in sweat and burning up.

"What happened?" I asked. I try to sit up.

"No, you don't want to do that," Tony says.

"Why?"

"Well, you see, the blade of the dagger you were stabbed with is still in there."

"Why hasn't it been removed?"

"They're afraid that if they remove it, you'll bleed out. You body's been heating up so much to try to burn off the poison from the blade. At this point, your blood's moving too fast to be stopped before you bleed out and…"

"Die. How much poison is in my system right now?"

"About 52% of your blood is poison right now."

"That high?"

"Yes. These blades were made from a poisonous material, and this one is releasing more and more poison by the second. They were created to do that. That's why the handle broke off."

"Clint, what happened to your hand?" It's wrapped up.

"When JARVIS detected the blade in your side, your suit had covered it up. I tried to get a closer look and put my hand on your shoulder. You're body heat was extremely high, and I ended up burning my hand."

"I'm sorry."

"Wasn't your fault."

"Ok, kids, time to leave," Fury says from the door. "We have to try to get that thing out." A group of doctors enter the room, and I start to feel claustrophobic. They have me sit up slowly and take off the hospital gown I was wearing, which left me in my bra and underwear. They take turns examining my wound. I turn to look down at it, which pisses most of them off. It's repulsive. The flesh around it has been decaying, and pus is oozing out of it. They examine the blade, discussing possible ways to get it out. Every one is turned down, due to the fact that they all would lead to me bleeding out. My skin has been growing around it. After an hour of examination, they wrap the wound and leave. Fury shakes his head.

"I don't know what we're going to do," he admits.

"How long was I out?"

"Two and a half days. We did all we could to keep your temperature under control, but you had still burned three beds."

"Where's my necklace?"

"We couldn't find it. Steve had recommended it, but we searched the entire house. It wasn't there." He hands me a gallon of water. "You're going to have to drink this and a lot more to stay alive. We'll have somebody watch over you until we figure out what to do." He walks out, and I'm alone for a minute. I take a drink. Tony walks in.

"Hey, pudding cup. Heard you're making doctors feel stupid."

"I guess so."

"So, uh, what's with the cuts?" I didn't realize I hadn't put the hospital gown back on. I put it back on before explaining.

"And you never told anybody?"

"Not at all. I figured I could keep it a secret. So much for that." I explain.

Over the next few days, I have to stay in bed. My condition is getting worse, with more and more poison seeping into my bloodstream. After a week, the doctors are doing all they can to keep me alive. It pains me even to breathe. I can't sleep, so they put me on sedatives at night. The team takes turns watching me. First Tony, then Tasha, followed by Clint, Steve, and Bruce. Then back to Tony.

Nine days after the battle, a nurse comes in, saying I have a guest. Tony's asleep. I can't move, so the nurse lets the guest in anyways. Loki. This guy can't take a hint. He walks over to my bed and sits on the edge. If I could talk, I'd tell him to get out, but my brain is fogged from the poison and pain. His face and neck are burnt.

"You look awful," he breathes. It pains him to see me like this. I can see it in his eyes. "I'm not here to apologize, but I want to help you."

"Uh, excuse me," Tony says drowsily. He must have woken up a few seconds ago. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to help."

"No, buddy, you've done quite enough. You've hurt her, and I don't want you going anywhere near her ever again."

"Stark, please, just let me try. I can heal her."

"Uh huh, sure you can. And I'm a ballerina. Now get out."

"I'm not leaving."

"Do you really want this to come down to a fight?"

"No. I just want to help her."

"Why? So you can take control of her?"

"No."

"Then why do you want to help her?"

"Because… because I love her." Tony's speechless. He and Loki stare each other down for a few moments. A surge of pain courses through me, and I moan. Both of them look down. Loki glares at Tony for a moment before returning his attention to me. His eyes are soft and caring, yet filled with pain. He reaches down to touch my face, but Tony slaps his hand.

"No touching." Loki grabs him by the collar of his shirt and pulls him to the far side of the room. They start arguing in hushed tones. I can distinguish anything they're saying. After what seems like an eternity, they return to my bedside. Tony looks defeated.

Loki reaches down and places his hand on my side, above the wound. He gasps when he feels the heat coming off my body, but doesn't move. He closes his eyes and starts muttering something. After a few tense minutes, it feels like my body's being drained. Both men watch my every movement. I sigh as a cool sensation spreads over my body and fills me up. My head clears up, and I feel refreshed. I take a deep breath, enjoying the freedom to breathe without pain. I manage to smile a bit, but I'm weak.

"What did you do?" Tony asks. He's just as surprised as I am. A smug grin spreads across his face.

"I healed her, just like I said." He holds up his hand, and in his fist, is the blade that had been residing in my body. It's disgusting, covered in blood. My both take a look at my side. By their looks, I can tell the wound hasn't healed over. "Ok, well, I got the knife and the poison out. Just then, Fury busts into the room, followed by several SHIELD agents.

"Alright, Loki, put the blade down and step away from the bed." He does as he's told, putting his hands in the air. I sit up with some help from Tony.

"What the?" Fury says, astounded. He has a gun pointed at Loki. Tony pulls out a small handheld device and grabs my hand. He puts my index finger on the device and I feel a sharp poke. A second passes, and the screen lights up. It reads "Blood Toxicity: 0%".

"Well, I'll be damned," Tony says. "The fucker really did it." All the guns in the room are lowered.

"Told you," Loki says, grinning. He walks back over to the bed and sits beside me. Fury storms out, obviously pissed. Tony gets up, too.

"I'll leave you two alone, but don't do anything you'll regret." I roll my eyes, and Tony points at me, as if to say "Don't roll your eyes." I turn back to Loki once we're alone.

"Why did you do that?"

"You know as well as I do why." He's right. I wrap my arms around him and pull him in for a hug.

"Thank you so much. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along."

"It's all alright now, love."


	10. Chapter 10

Those few words fill me with hope. "It's all alright now, love." I don't want to let go of Loki. I should have never pushed him away. Eventually, I break off the hug and look at the burns on his face and neck. I'm pretty sure the ones on his torso are still there.

"Where did you get the burns?"

"From you." Guilt crashes through me.

"How?"

"The night we, uh, well, you know, you were very drunk and when you necklace came off, your body heated up immediately. We kept going, which resulted in quite a few burns, some in worse places than others." I can't help but giggle at that.

"I'm soooo sorry, Loki. Not just for the burns, but for everything. I should have let you explain before running off."

"And I shouldn't have disappeared on you. So, are we back on good terms?"

"Well, if you insist," I say mischievously. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. His cool lips are a relief after days of fever. He kisses back, but Tony walks in, interrupting us with a cough.

"I see you two have made up." He sits back down in the chair and watches us. We don't say anything for a while. Loki leans down and whispers into my ear.

"You know, if you want, I can get us out of here." He grins devilishly.

"No," I respond, slightly louder than him. I gently shove him away.

"No, what?" Tony asks. We turn and look at him. He's sitting up, alert, wondering what we're talking about. I pull Loki back to me.

"Ok, fine, but I'm still recovering, so nowhere too crazy," I whisper. Loki pulls his head back and smirks. He glances at Tony, waves, and before I know it, we're gone. It only takes a few seconds before a different room materializes in front of me. My bedroom. I really hope he's not thinking about that… I stumble. I'm still weak. He picks me up bridal style and carries me to my bed. I look at him with a questioning look.

"Not what I had in mind," he says, defending his actions. "I just thought you'd like to rest without any disruptions." I let out a sigh of relief. He starts looking through my dresser and closet. He finds a pair of sweatpants and a loose T-shirt, and with a snap of his fingers, the hospital gown disappears and I'm wearing the clothes he picked out. I pull the blanket over myself and curl up. After a week on a hospital bed, this is heaven. Loki moves to leave the room, but I stop him.

"I don't think so," I say, yawning. I'm on the verge of falling asleep. I move the blanket to make room for him. He hesitantly sits down next to me. Annoyed, I yank him down, resulting in him smashing his head against the headboard.

"Damn!" he exclaims, putting a hand on the back of his head. I can't help but laugh.

"I'm sorry," I giggle. He sighs and makes himself comfortable. I scoot over, putting my head on his shoulder. He wraps his arms around me. I immediately fall asleep

/Loki's POV/

She's beautiful when she sleeps. I can't take my eyes off of her. Not trying to be perverted, I lift her shirt just enough to see where the blade was stuck in her side. There's a huge hole, but it's healing. It will definitely leave a scar. Maybe, when she wakes up, I can heal her other cuts. But I'll have to wait until then.

I hear Stark arrive. He's greeted by that infernal computer. I can hear them speaking.

"JARVIS, where are they?" Stark demands. He's definitely angry.

"In her room, sir." That snooty voice irritates me.

"Son of a bitch." I can hear him storm down the hall towards the room. He doesn't bother to knock. Instead, he barges into the room. He stops in his tracks when he sees us.

"I…You…What…?" he's at a loss for words. I chuckle.

"Be quiet," I say quietly. "She needs to sleep." She stirs, and we both look at her. She mumbles something and goes still again. My heartbeat quickens. She's just so…_perfect_, despite her occasional temper.

"Why did you take her?" Stark inquires in a hushed tone.

"She wanted to leave. I just so happened to offer before she asked." Not entirely true, but that is to be expected from me.

"You shouldn't have taken her. She needed to stay in the hospital for a while longer."

"She's fine. Her wound is healing, and she's happy. What more could you want for her?"

"I guess you're right." He leans against the door, looking resigned. There's something with the way he watches her. Not the way I do, but there's still a loving hint in his eyes.

"You see her as your daughter, don't you?" His head jerks up. I caught him off guard. After a moment to think, he finally answers.

"Yes, I do. That's why I've been so protective over her, especially since you came along. I don't want her to get hurt."

"Well, you can trust me when I say this. I'll never hurt her again."

"If you do, though, I will personally see to it that you suffer."

"You have my word." She stirs again, and this time, when she says something, it's clear as day.

"I love you, Loki."

**Aww, fluffy stuff. One chapter left in my story.**


	11. Chapter 11

**This is the final chapter of "Hidden Fire". I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it. Like I said before, my OC will appear in other fanfics I write. Keep an eye (or eyepatch) for "Best of the Best", a series of oneshots I'm writing.**

Pyrexia's POV

I wake up around 3 in the afternoon. Loki's gone. I really hope he didn't leave. I get up and head to the kitchen. Much to my relief, he's there, sitting on the counter. Strange place for a god, but if he's comfortable, then what the hell. I head straight for the fridge. I'm starving. After looking around for a few minutes, I finally settle for chocolate chip waffles. I can tell he's watching me. I pop the waffles in the toaster and take a seat on the counter next to him. He puts his arm around my waist and I lean against him.

"How was your nap?" he asks quietly.

"It was wonderful." He nods and kisses my temple. We sit there in silence until my waffles pop up. I don't even bother with syrup or a plate. I just sit back down on the counter and start to eat. About halfway through the first one, Tony walks in.

"Isn't it a little late to be eating waffles?" he asks.

"I can do whatever I want," I say, mimicking him from the day we left for Asgard. He rolls his eyes.

"You hypocrite!" I yell at him. He turns in shock, clueless. "You always tell me not to roll my eyes, and yet, there you go, rolling your eyes! Practice what you preach, bitch!" He shakes his head.

"Ok, ok, fine," he says, putting his hands in the air. "I won't tell you not to roll your eyes." We both laugh. Loki clears his throat. I had forgotten he was there for a moment. I turn to him and attempt to give him a quick kiss, but I can't bring myself to pull away. We're interrupted, yet again, by Tony.

"Ew, seriously? Now I'm going to have to burn the entire kitchen!" he jokes. I roll my eyes, and I can see him struggle not to say anything. Deciding to mess with him, I pull Loki in for another kiss, making it as intimate as possible. I open my eyes long enough to see Tony pretending to gag as he makes his way to the kitchen table. Loki also opens his eyes quickly before grinning into the kiss. He even goes as far as to slip his tongue into my mouth.

"Stop it!" Tony yells. We break off and turn to him. "That's really disgusting! You're a kid and he's a god! You shouldn't be making out! Especially not in my kitchen!"

"You know, you taste like chocolate," Loki tells me. This is met with a sound of disgust from Tony. Loki wraps his arm around my waist again, but quickly pulls it back. There's something red on his hand. Blood. My blood.

"Shit," I say, as I get up to clean it up. As I walk past Tony, he gives me a questioning look, but I ignore it as I make my way through my bedroom into the bathroom. I quickly find some gauze wrap and peroxide. I lift my shirt up enough to see that all of my wounds have started to bleed, including the one from the blade. I apply the peroxide, trying not to make a sound as it stings. After the pain wears off, I wrap my torso. I notice there's blood on my pants, too. Today is just not my day. I strip down to just my bra and underwear and throw the rest of my clothes into a laundry basket. I treat my leg wounds and wrap them. I turn to see Loki standing at the door.

"Are you going to creep on me every time I'm half naked?" I ask. He shrugs.

"I've seen you with less on, so I would think it wouldn't bother you so much," he says. I roll my eyes and exit the bathroom in search for clean clothes.

"You know, I can always heal those cuts if you want," he offers. I shake my head.

"No, I'd prefer to keep them."

"Why?"

"They remind me that I'm human, despite where I may have been born." He zones out. I can tell he's relating to my words. I can see the sadness in his beautiful green eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, it's fine." We drop the subject. I get myself into some clean, blood-free clothes and we head back to the kitchen. The entire team had gathered in the short amount of time I was in the bathroom. Everybody seems happy to see me up and about.

"So, how about showing us that new scar?" Clint asks. At first I think he's joking, but he's actually serious. Knowing the reaction isn't going to be good, I lift up the side of my shirt and remove the gauze. Nobody makes a sound as they observe not only the knife wound, but the other cuts as well. I quickly explain the situation. I'm getting tired of having to tell everybody. I replace the gauze and take a seat next to Loki. He puts his arm over my shoulder.

"You two are a thing now, right?" Clint asks. I nod, and out of the corner of my eye, I can see Loki smile.

"Yep. From here on out, Loki is officially my boyfriend, no matter what Tony has to say about it, since he considers himself to be my dad." I happened to be somewhat awake when he said that. Tony mumbles something about me being too young, but we all ignore it. "So, why are you all here?"

"We wanted to make sure you were ok," Natasha responds. Suddenly, my stomach growls. I try to cover it up with my arms, but it's too late. Everybody is looking at me.

"What? I'm hungry. I didn't get to finish breakfast."

"Who wants shawarma?" Tony asks.

"NO!" we all say simultaneously.

**And that is the end. I hope you liked it!**


End file.
